By Simon Asare
Accra, March 3, GNA – After five years of preparation, Ghana is ready to host the biggest sporting event on the African continent, with over 49 countries participating in the highly anticipated 13th African Games.
It is an historic games for Ghana as they host the games for the first time since its inception in 1965, having built modern, state-of-the-art sporting facilities.
The theme for the games, “Experience the African Dream,” would celebrate the vast sporting talents on the continent as they converge in Accra to make history for themselves and countries.
Ghana would have the opportunity to showcase its diverse culture to the rest of the world during the opening ceremony set for Friday, March 8, 2024, with an anticipated two billion TV and online viewers during the three-week event.
Over 13,000 elite athletes from all over Africa would be competing for honours, while others would also be hoping to pick spots for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Games Schedule
Following the arrival of some nations in Accra over the past few days, some preliminary qualifying events are expected to get underway. on Monday, March 4, 2024.
Sports disciplines like badminton, handball, and table tennis would get the prelims underway on Monday, March 4, 2024.
The first medals would be up for grabs on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in the badminton and table tennis events.
Athletics would kick off on Monday, March 18, 2024, with a total of 174 medals up for grabs in both the men’s and women’s track and field events.
The first swimming competition will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2024, while boxing will kick off on Friday, March 15, 2024.
Cycling will also kick off on Saturday, March 9, 2024, on the Ablekuma Pokuase Highway, with a total of 78 medals up for grabs from participating countries.
The Hana Hathramani Hall at the Accra Sports Stadium will host the wrestling event, while the competition venue for triathlon will be the Labadi Beach Resort.
Sports disciplines and host stadiums
A total of 30 sporting disciplines will feature at the 13th African Games, with seven Olympic qualifying sporting disciplines, 16 non-Olympic qualifiers, and seven demonstration sports.
The newly constructed Borteyman Sports Complex will host some games, including badminton, handball, and tennis.
The world class aquatic centre at Borteyman Sports Complex would also host swimming events and some non-Olympic qualifying games, including Taekwando, Karate-do, Judo, Handball and fencing.
The newly commissioned University of Ghana Sports Stadium, which will host the opening ceremony of the games, will host all track and field events.
The Accra Sports Stadium and the University of Ghana Sports Stadium will host the men’s football, while the women’s competition will be played at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium and the Paa Kwesi Ndoum Sports Complex.
The Achimota Oval will host the cricket events, while Cyling, which is an Olympic qualifier, will be hosted in Olebu and Ablekuma in Accra.
The Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium will host 10 countries for both the men’s and women’s hockey events, with participating countries including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, among others.
GNA